Briar Forest/Kirkwood condos? (Howe: apartments, renter, crime)

[Corridor Chick]

I'm not ready to make a move yet, but I am considering switching from renting to owning. I have my eye on a condo in the Walker's Mark community. It looks like the inside has been totally renovated, really nice! However, it's been on the market for at least 6 months, and was previously on the market (then removed) 3 years ago. Also, I see a 100K price differential between condos and single-family homes in that area. Anybody know why? Are the condos mostly rentals, or are they owner-occupied? I've driven the area, and the single-family neighborhoods look nice enough, but the apartments in the area look kind of sketchy. Any insight on that area would be helpful.

[Lost_In_Translation]

Walkers Mark as a whole doesn't look very well maintained, certainly not for the cost. Why not something in 77079 like memorial club or memorial ashford or summerhill. None of those are on a major street and they all look better maintained. I figure one day walkers mark is going to go the way of the memorial park condos, demolished and for good reason.

Also, my friend lives in a house near the walkers mark condos and I think they're mostly rented judging by the deterioration of many of them. The people that live there are sometimes sketchy but buying I think would be a mistake. Many look structurally poor. My advice would be to look elsewhere.

[Corridor Chick]

Thanks for the reply. That's what I was afraid of. It looked good at first, but the more research I did, the more potential red flags I found.

[Bily Lovec]

I lived in Walkers Mark a few years ago, so my opinion trumphs the other opinions you're getting

Im a scumbag renter

their biggest issue is they have been passed around between different management companies over the last ten years. none of which would address a lot of the issue.
the outside of the buildings are the responsibility of the management Co., NOT the owners of the condos.
hurricane Ike did a lot of damage to the place, I think they are still reparing over that.

the good thing about the place is there is little to no crime in the complex, prolly due to all the old retired people who live there.


I would tell you to keep looking. either west or north of there.

[Lost_In_Translation]

Originally Posted by Bily Lovec

their biggest issue is they have been passed around between different management companies over the last ten years. none of which would address a lot of the issue.
the outside of the buildings are the responsibility of the management Co., NOT the owners of the condos.
.

The condo board should still direct the capital expenses, not the management company which manages day to day expenses and collects on behalf of the condo board. If the condo board is not proactive or simply doesn't have the money the whole complex ends up in such a state of deterioration and that lies directly on the owners who are either absentee or inactive. It's one reason I am leery of condo complexes to begin with. A colleague of mine was stuck with a condo she couldn't unload precisely because of a disfunctuonal board and poor management making others hesitant to buy in at any price.

[Bily Lovec]

the WM board was/is pretty corrupt, they would spend $$ on each others TH and not on non-board members that had the same damage.

WM had a lot of people behind in the dues, like tens of thousands of $$ behind. Seems like they also sent everyone a bill for around $10k for ike damages.

I know a good friend of mine who lived there at the same time was selling their TH, it took them 6+ months and they pretty much wrote $20k check to sell.

I know several people who live there and cant move simply because its very hard to sell a TH there, thats why there are so many rentals.

I lived there because I had to leave my other place quickly due to divorce and I work about two miles from there.